Toy novelty



Sept. 11, 1934. THEN 1,973,549

TOY NOVELTY Filed Sept. 22. 1932 .By hisAiior /eys 96 W! r Patented Sept. 11, 1934 TOY NOVELTY Joseph Then, Minneapolis, Minn.; Albert Then administrator of Joseph Then, deceased Appiication September 22, 1932, Serial No. 634,263

7 Claims.

My invention pertains to mechanical toys and particularly to such toys having a revoluble propeller thereon.

It is an object of my invention to provide a toy having a revoluble propeller and means for easily causing said propeller to rapidly revolve.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toy novelty formed to simulate an actual object or machine and having a revoluble member rotatable by means of .a twisted cord, the body of the toy being supported by the twisted cord and maintained in definite relationship to the revoluble member by simple and efficient means associated with the cord.

Still another object is to provide a toy of the class described wherein the propeller is caused to rapidly revolve by alternately increasing and decreasing the tension on a twisted pair of cords, the respective ends of which extend outwardly from the ends of the toy and are held in the hands of the user.

A further object is to provide a toy of the class described, formed to resemble an aeroplane and having a revoluble propeller thereon and means for rapidly whirling the propeller.

A still further object is to provide a toy aeroplane wherein the entire aeroplane may be, when desired, caused to revolve about its longitudinal axis while supported by operating cords.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:--

Fig. 1 is a partially fragmentary bottom view of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of my invention, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the relation of the operating and supporting cords to the hub portion of the propeller.

Referring to the drawing, the wing portion 4 of my toy aeroplane consists of a substantially rectangular piece of cardboard or other suitable sheet material. A fuselage and tail portion 5, consisting of a suitably shaped piece of cardboard or other suitable sheet material, is secured adjacent its forward end to the medial part of the wing portion 4 with the longitudinal center line thereof intersecting the longitudinal center line of the wing portion.

A U-shaped wheel supporting bracket 6, formed of a strip of sheet material, is secured to the wing and fuselage portions 4 and 5 with the closed end thereof disposed parallel to and slightly rearwardly of the front edge of the wing portion 4, the sides thereof extending downwardly. The end portions of the bracket 6 are apertured and an axle 7 extends through the apertures. Wheels 8 are journaled, one at each end of the axle 7.

A retaining and positioning member 9, formed of stilf wire or other suitable material and extending substantially throughout the length of the fuselage and tail portion 5 along the longitudinal center line thereof, is secured to the lower side of the fuselage and tail portion. Each end of the retaining and positioning member 9 is formed into a depending eye 10, as shown.

A propeller 11, formed of sheet metal or other suitable sheet material is located a short distance forwardly of the forwardmost one of the eyes 10, as shown. The propeller 11 has a hub 12, which, as shown in the drawing, consists of two disks 12a, each having a pair of apertures l3 therethrough, respectively located at the two sides of the central portion of the propeller 11 with the respective pairs of apertures 13 aligned. The center of the propeller is pro- 80 vided with a large aperture, as shown. The two ends of a string or cord 14 respectively pass through the apertures 13 and extend rearwardly therefrom. An apertured bead 15 is mounted on the parallel or double portion of the cord 14 between the hub 12 and the foremost one of the eyes 10. Behind the bead 15 the double cord passes through the frontmost one of the eyes and then extends to the rear of the fuselage and tail portion 5 where it passes through the remaining or rearmost one of the eyes 10. Behind the last mentioned eye a second apertured bead 16 is mounted on the cord and a knot 17 is formed in the cord, behind the bead 16, to prevent rearward movement there- 95 of along the cord. The knot 1'7 is so located on the cord 14 that the length of cord between the beads and 16, when the cord is not twisted, slightly exceeds the distance between the respective eyes 10. From the knotted portion thereof the cord extends a substantial distance rearwardly and terminates at a button 18. The button 18 has two apertures therethrough which the cords 14 respectively pass through and behind which the ends of the cords are joined.

A second cord 19 is attached to the hub 12 of the propeller 11 in a manner similar to that employed in attaching the first cord 14 except that the ends of the second cord 19 extend forwardly from the hub. The doubled cord 19 exsupport the toy aeroplane by the cords.

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tends a substantial distance forwardly and terminates at a button 20 to which it is secured in the same manner as the cord 14 was secured to the button 18.

As shown in the drawing, the relations of the cords 14 and 19 to the hub 12 are such that, when the cords are placed under tension, the disks 12a of the hub- 12 of the propeller are pulled into firm frictional engagement with the central portion of the propeller 11. Each blade of the propeller 11 has an aperture 11a in the outer portion thereof for production of a whistling sound when the propeller is rotating. The blades of the propeller may or may not be bent to produce a movement of when rotating.

Operation The buttons 18 and 20 are respectively held in the hands of the user so as to pull the cords into a substantially horizontal position and to The hands are then moved in a suitable manner to rotate the toy aeroplane about the cords to twist the cords into double helices. One cord will naturally be twisted in a direction opposite to that of the other. To cause rotation of the propeller, .force is exerted to produce tension on the cords. The .helices will unwind and in so doing will cause rapid rotation of the propeller. When the helices are unwound or nearly so, the user decreases the tension on the cords. The flywheel effect of the whirling propeller will cause continued rotation thereof to twist the cords to form helices having a direction of twist opposite to the direction previously had. Tension again exerted on the cords will cause reversal of the direction of rotation of the propeller and again cause rapid rotation. The above described cycle of operation, of course, may be repeated as many times as the user de- During the above described operation the weight of the wheels depending from the toy aeroplane arrests rotation of the aeroplane with the propeller .and maintains the aeroplane in normal position.

By operating the toy so that the twisting of the cords is suflicient to cause the twisting and accompanying shortening of that portion of the cords lying between the beads 15 and 16 to bring the beads into engagement with the eyes 10 in a .manner similar to that of cone clutches, the .kinetic energy of the rotating propeller may be imparted to the normally non-rotating portions of the aeroplane to cause rotation of the entire aeroplane about its longitudinal center line several times at the termination 0f each rotation of the propeller. :By holding the cords at an inclination with respect to horizontal, gravity will move the toy aeroplane along the cord to bring one of the beads into engagement with the corresponding eye 10 to cause rotation of the aeroplane about the cords. As the user becomes adept in the operation of my toy "F1 aeroplane he may operate the same to simulate the motions of anaeroplane performing various stunts, such as tail spins, barrel rolls, etc.

.It is apparent that I have invented a novel, entertaining and inexpensive toy aeroplane wherein the propeller may be caused to rotate very realistically and wherein the entire toy aeroplane may be made to revolve about its longitudinal axis. 7

My invention is not to be applied only to toy aeroplanes, but may also be applied-to many other types of toys in which rotating members are employed.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In an airplane toy, a pair of twistable cords, a revoluble propeller member axially connected to said scords, an airplane body, means for connecting said body to said cords at one side of said revoluble member, said means including an element through which said cords extend, and an enlarged member secured to said cords to prevent longitudinal displacement of said body and to retain said body between said enlarged member and said revoluble member.

2. In a mechanical toy, a pair of twistable cords, a revoluble member axially connected to .said cords, an airplane body mounted on said "100 cords :at one side-of said revoluble member, means associated with said body for maintaining a definite predetermined axial relationship between :sazld body and said revoluble member and a frictional member mounted on said-cords, said "105 frictional member being adapted to frictionally engage an element of said body when said cords are inclined so :as to cause rotation of said body with said cords.

33. In a mechanical toy, a pair of twistable cords, a revoluble member axially connected to said cords, :a :body, means .for maintaining said body and "said revoluble member in a definite axial relationship, :said means including a frictional element mounted on said body and through which said cords pass, and a. second frictional element mounted 'on said cords and adapted to engage said first frictional element to rotate said body when said elements are brought into engagement :and said second frictional element is rotated.

4. In a toy aeroplane, a propeller having a pair of apertures through the hub portion thereof, a pair (0f cords passing respectively through :said apertures, an airplane body, means connecting said body to said cords at one side of :said propeller, said means including an element through which said cords extend, a friction member mounted on said cords between and for respective' engagement with the hub of 130 said propeller and the forward portion of said means, a second friction member mounted on said cords behind and for engagement with the rearward portion of said means, and means for preventing outward movement of said propeller 1 and friction members along said cords.

:5. In a toy aeroplane, a propeller revo'lu'bly associatedwith said aeroplane, a pair of eyes located at the respective ends of the fuselage portion of :said aeroplane, said propeller being 140 disposed forwardly :of the forwardmost of said eyes and having a pair :of apertures through the hub. portion thereof, a pair of cords passing respectively through said apertures and passing together through each of said eyes, an 'apertured '145 friction member disposed about said cords between and for respective engagement with said hub portion and the torwardmost one of said eyes, a second apertured friction member mounted on said cords behind and for iengage- 1'50 ment with the rearmost one of said eyes, and means for preventing movement of said apertured members outwardly along said cords.

6. In an airplane toy, a pair of twistable cords, a revoluble propeller member axially connected to said cords for rotation therewith, an airplane body located behind said propeller, and means attached to said body and loosely surrounding said cord for connecting said body therewith.

7. In a toy airplane, a pair of eyes at the respective ends of the fuselage portion of said airplane, a propeller axially aligned with said eyes and located forwardly of the forwardmost one of said eyes, the hub portion of said propeller having a pair of apertures extending therethrough parallel to the axis of rotation thereof, a reversely turned cord, the two halves of which are disposed substantially parallel to each other and adapted to be twisted together.

the connecting portion between said halves of the cord being disposed against the forward side of said hub and said halves of the cord extending rearwardly through the respective apertures in said hub and together through said eyes to a point a substantial distance rearwardly of said fuselage, a second reversely turned cord similar to the first, the connecting portion between the halves of said second cord being disposed against the rearward side of said hub and the halves of said second cord extending forwardly through the respective apertures in said hub to a point a substantial distance forwardly of said hub, a friction member mounted on said first cord between said propeller hub and the forwardmost one of said eyes, and a second frictional member mounted on said first cord immediately to the rear of the rearmost one of said eyes.

JOSEPH THEN. 

